The Graduated Colour Border 



vivid green and other colours, tapers to its apex, which 

 is lost to sight in grey and white. In the most beau- 

 tiful landscape the richest and most vivid colour is 

 always in the foreground, and fades in, tone in the 

 middle distance, and the eye loses itself in the distance 

 in indefinite purple and grey, and it is, in effect, this 

 idea that is aimed at in the ' ' graduated colour border. 

 To achieve it, one carefully groups at one end of the 

 border all the most powerful and vivid colours, such as 

 rich crimson or brilliant orange. Starting with this 

 as a base, graduate the colours somewhere in the fol- 

 lowing order : crimson, scarlet, orange scarlet, orange 

 yellow, deep yellow, pale yellow, creamy yellow. Now 

 it becomes necessary to pick up another colour, and 

 the best for associating with pale yellow is pale blue ; 

 thence we pass through bright blue, deep blue, purple 

 blue, lilac, grey, and white. A liberal supply of light 

 grassy foliage should be used throughout the border, 

 and plenty of white, to give a sense of continuity, and 

 it serves also to act as a foil for the colours. I have 

 mentioned only one range of graduation ; there are 

 really several, and if the idea is carefully and cor- 

 rectly carried out the effect is charming. The diffi- 

 culties in the way of its success are not to be ignored, 

 however, and unless one has an intimate knowledge 

 of the plants it should not be attempted. Moreover, 

 it cannot be completed in one year's effort, but each 

 season a careful study of the border will reveal faults 

 to be rectified when the autumn comes round. 



There is, however, a second colour scheme that I 

 strongly advise, and it is the system of Colour Group- 

 ing. By this I mean the arranging in distinct groups 



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